Gov. David Ige officially extended the state’s COVID-19 emergency period through the end of October, while codifying loosened travel restrictions that will go into effect Oct. 15.
The emergency period leaves most COVID-19 restrictions in place throughout the state, including the current 14-day quarantine for all arriving travelers.
However, starting Oct. 15, travelers who, “upon entry to the state, provide written confirmation from a state approved COVID-19 testing facility of a negative test result from a test administered to the traveler within 72 hours from the final leg of departure” will be exempt from that requirement, according to Ige’s proclamation.
According to the proclamation, travelers whose state-approved test results are not yet available upon arrival can submit those results to state officials and, pending their approval, become exempt from the quarantine requirement.
The current mandatory quarantines for interisland travelers arriving to the Big Island, Maui and Kauai remain in effect. However, the proclamation allows neighbor island counties to adopt a similar negative test exemption policy to allow interisland travelers to skip the quarantine as well.
The proclamation also extends the current moratorium on evicting tenants for failing to pay rent until Oct. 31.
“Our response to COVID-19 has always been driven by the need to protect the safety of our residents and community,” Ige said in a statement. “The pre-travel testing program allows us to do this while welcoming more people to our state. The increased economic activity will help strengthen our communities.”